Now that the majority of us are back at work and over the holiday blues it is time for us to concentrate on new goals for the new year ahead. Here at CAFA we have been thinking about some new year resolutions that will make a positive impact to the environment both at an individual and association level. Find out below what resolutions the team has come up with.
Resolution 1 - Out with the Old in with the New
Like many others, the team here at CAFA received clothes as gifts at Christmas which got us thinking what would be the best way to dispose of older clothes when making space for the new ones.
Listed below are some options on how to scale back your wardrobe sustainably.
Charity shops
Sell on second hand platforms such as Vinted, Depop and Ebay.
Re design old clothes
Re gift
Give to charities that need clothing donations such as The Salvation Army
These suggestions also work for general gifts. Did you receive a present that isn't really for you? Maybe your Secret Santa didn't know you very well? Don't waste the item by putting it in the bin use the above list to dispose of the gift in a more climate friendly way.
Resolution 2 - Move your Money
Are you aware of what your bank is investing in?... Did you know banks have continued to invest in fossil fuels in spite of pledges to reach net zero.
When it comes to making changes in our own lives, some of the most popular options are reducing reliance on fossil fuels through eating less meat, driving and flying less.
While these are helpful steps to take and are listed further down on our list, changing your bank to one that invests sustainably can have a bigger impact as you control how your money is being spent .
You might be surprised to know that simply having a bank account could mean you’re funding the climate crisis without even knowing it. Banks can use your money to loan or invest in oil and gas projects around the world. Some of the big culprits include Barclays, HSBC, BNP Paribas and Deutsche Bank.
So make sure you do your research when looking at what your next individual or company bank account could be.
Resolution 3 - It's Just Plane Wrong
Now this is one that comes up every year and yet only small amounts of people and organisations actually stick to it. This resolution is all about changing the way you travel. It can be easy to full back into old habits and just jump into the car out of convivence but changing the way you travel can have a huge impact on the climate if we all do it.
Most people will of probably heard about the news surrounding celebrity plane emissions, although we are not celebrities, by jumping in our car instead of the bus it is the same mentally (on a lower level of course) as not sharing a plane.
So what can be done?
Encourage your workplace to support cleaner transport options.
As an organisation, offer cycling facilities and discounted travel cards.
If you must travel in a car try and set up a car pool (preferably in a electric car!)
Look into making your organisation change to a work from home or hybrid setting, see our Green Working From Home Policy
Invest in better clean technology that will allow you to contact others around the world rather than travelling to see them face to face.
Resolution 4 - Team work makes the dream work
Is your workforce aware or have knowledge on what steps they can take to improve the climate? A lot of the time people don't act as they don't know where to begin. While this list is a good start, there is so much content out there on what more you can do.
For associations CAFA have created tailored content, guides, action plans and tools on a range of different subjects that can be share with different departments in your organisation.
Does your association have a sustainability expert? Get them to share monthly content to spread awareness to your workforce or alternately you can share ours as it's there to help!
Resolution 5 - You are What you Eat
The phrase 'you are what you eat'
means it is important to eat good food in order to be healthy. But how can you be sure what you are eating is really healthy?
Now, I'm not going to go into vegan diets as that is common knowledge but I am going to talk about the quality of of food.
Microplastics have become an increasingly familiar site in our food. They enter our food chain when they move into our oceans, waterways and soil. In addition to microplastic we also need to be aware of synthetic fertilizers, which run off into lakes and rivers. Chemicals such as monosodium glutamate, sodium nitrite, and guar gum are commonly added to processed foods as a preservative or to enhance them in some way. So in order to eat healthy we need to change the way we consume.
This is not only a change in food habits but being aware of who you are purchasing from. Is the foods they are selling organic? What does their procurement supply chain look like? Does it come wrapped in lots of single use plastic? because if so it is ultimately adding to the microplastic problem. We also need to look at reduced consumption. We live the age of overbuying food. Cast your mind back to Christmas, think of all the leftovers you had. Could you reduce food wastage on a daily basis? Are your food products going out of date before you are getting round to eating them? All these small things will have an impact on the environment.
Resolution 6 - Green is Clean
What do we mean by green energy?
Renewable energy comes from sources that are constantly and naturally renewed (hence the name), such as wind power and solar energy. For this resolution, and you've probably guessed it, is switching to green energy. This can be done on both an individual and association level.
Here are some examples of what you can do.
Install rooftop solar panel
Switch energy provider to one that supplies 100% green gas and renewable electricity such as Green Energy UK
Use Solar thermal energy to heat water stored in your hot water tank
Install combined heat and power systems
Get geothermal and ground source heat pumps
Resolution 7 - Emission possible
Last but not least have your net zero goals mapped out. This is extremely important as how are you supposed to achieve net zero without having a plan in place? It seems a lot of business are pledging to becoming net zero but have no plan in place to get there. Well don't panic! Because here are CAFA we have all the resource you need.
To be able to map out your goals, first you need to be aware of your emissions. This is where scope 1, 2 and 3 come in. For those who do not know, scope 1 and 2 are those emissions that are owned or controlled by a company, whereas scope 3 emissions are a consequence of the activities of the company but occur from sources not owned or controlled by it.
CAFA has partnered with Meercat Associates to help you create your Baseline Footprint Calculation and target setting. Interested in finding out more? Contact us at mehak@cafacollective.org
You can also purchase our 'Becoming A Net Zero Association' product. This covers all basis for what you will need on your journey to net zero. Find out more here
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